Preface

This pamphlet contains a brief analytical description of each volume
in the United States Army in World War II series published to date or to
be published in the near future. These sketches have, in most cases, been
prepared by the author at the request of the Chief Historian in his capacity
as General Editor of the series. Each synopsis is followed by a list of
"key topics" found in the volume and in most cases their chapter
location. In addition, a pamphlet index is included which refers to both
the lists of key topics and the subject matter in the descriptive sketches.
With its aid, the reader should be able to find information bearing on
a specific topic that may be located in several volumes, which touch on
different aspects of a problem or an event. However, neither the topic
lists nor the pamphlet index are exhaustive, and should be supplemented
by reference to the analytical index that is contained in each published
volume.

The admonition which concluded the preface of Reader's Guide I
bears repeating: "The descriptive sketches that appear in the following
pages are not resumes or guts of the volumes. They do not provide pat answers
but then neither does history. History is a vicarious story that cannot
be experienced except through participation in the event or through reading.
History's value lies in qualifying the reader to see events and problems
as conditioned by their context and their sequence in time, not in isolation.
Only extensive reading can give this qualification, which is the beginning
of wisdom. It is hoped this pamphlet may help to get at the heart of the
matter in which the reader is chiefly interested at any particular time."